World of Warcraft Patch 3.1 Official Patch Notes

Here we are ladies and gentleman, the official patch notes for the live version of patch 3.1. Features of this patch include:

Dual Specs

Ulduar

Argent Tournament

Major Class Changes

Swimming Mounts

New Inscriptions

A few reminders about these notes. First, they were obtained from the official patch files. Secondly, the notes are subject to change at the whim of Blizzard. If they do, you'll be able to find the changes here. Third, not everything on the PTR makes it into the live patch – and not everything in the live patch was on the PTR.

Since discovering Ulduar in the Storm Peaks, adventurers have journeyed to the titan city to learn more about its mysterious past. Further exploration has revealed that the magnificent complex is above all a prison, intended to permanently confine the Old God of death, Yogg-Saron. This ancient horror has corrupted its guards, and now it is breaking through the last of its restraints. Faced with the peril of Yogg-Saron's imminent freedom, a band of mortals has made preparations for a sweeping assault on the city. Overcoming the legions of iron minions and towering defenses at the city's entrance will take tremendous strength, but even that great victory may not be enough to overcome the madness that dwells below.

The Argent Tournament Begins!

As the might of the Scourge wanes under the pressure of Azeroth's heroes, the Argent Crusade have taken a foothold in Arthas's back yard. Off the northeastern coast of Icecrown, the Argent Crusade have sounded the call for the most bold and brave adventurers of the Horde and Alliance to take part in the Argent Tournament. Representatives of all ten faction capitols, from Undercity to Exodar, have traveled to the tournament grounds to find champions among their heroes who will prepare for the inevitable battle against the enemy of all living beings, the Lich King.

General

Due to significant talent tree revisions, all players will have their talent points reimbursed. Several new spells and abilities have been added for select classes. Players will need to visit their class trainer to learn new spells.

The Argent Tournament, a permanent in-game event, has come to Icecrown. Players interested in taking part in this event should visit the Argent Pavilion located on the west side of the tournament grounds. Features include:

All Ground Mounts may now swim without dismounting the rider. Flying Mounts still may NOT, and will dismount the rider upon entering water.

Players level 40 and higher will now be able to visit their trainer to pay a one-time fee and access the dual talent specialization feature.

The achievement Brew of the Year has been removed from the Brewmaster meta-achievement. The achievement Brew of the Month has been added in its place.

Noblegarden has been redesigned into a week-long holiday with new items, quests, and more. Various achievements have been added, including the meta-achievement Noble Gardener, which is now required for the meta-achievement What A Long, Strange Trip It's Been.

Applying a glyph no longer requires a Lexicon of Power. The same rules for switching between dual talent specializations now apply to switching glyphs and cannot be performed while in combat, Battlegrounds (except when Preparation is up), or Arenas (no exceptions).

PvP

Arenas

Enemy Unit Frames: This feature is only available while in Arenas, with several options in the Interface Options.

Battlegrounds

Battleground quests "Concerted Efforts" (Alliance) and "For Great Honor" (Horde) now require an Alterac Valley Mark of Honor in addition to the current requirements. These quests now award more honor upon completion.

Players will now be able to queue for battlegrounds from any location. Leaving a battleground will return you to the location from which you entered.

Seaforium Barrels can now be looted while mounted, seen from anywhere in the zone, and found at the Central Graveyard.

Teleporters can now be used while mounted and can now be seen from anywhere in the zone.

Alterac Valley

Drek'Thar, Vanndar Stormpike, the tower Heralds and Warmasters have received a hit point and damage upgrade in the level 80 version of Alterac Valley.

Strand of the Ancients

Capturing the Southern Graveyard will now automatically capture both the East and West Graveyards.

Lake Wintergrasp

All players who attack a siege vehicle should now get credit if it is destroyed.

Daily quests "Slay Them All!" (Horde) and "No Mercy for the Merciless" (Alliance) have had their PvP kill requirements reduced to 10 from 20. NPCs defending the fortress and south towers now count toward these dailies as well.

The number of NPCs defending fortress has been increased.

Siege Engines now have Steam Pressure as a resource type (replaces energy).

Siege Engines now have the Steam Rush ability from Ulduar.

The southern Siege Factories can be captured.

The time between battles will be saved should a realm shut down. If Wintergrasp is active when a realm shuts down, the game will restart from the beginning when the realm is once again live.

Towers in Southern Wintergrasp now have more defensive cannons.

Races: General

Command (Orc Racial): Applies to shaman pets, and now correctly applies to death knight pets.

Gift of the Naaru (Draenei Racial): The heal has been changed to an instant-cast heal-over-time.

Stoneform (Dwarf Racial): No longer makes you immune to poison, disease and bleed effects for 8 seconds. Instead, using Stoneform will clear those effects when cast. Cooldown reduced to 2 minutes from 3 minutes.

Mana Regeneration: The amount of mana regeneration derived from intellect and spirit has been reduced by 40%; however, talents that allow for mana regeneration while in combat have been increased. As a result, in-combat regeneration for classes with those talents will stay the same, while out-of-combat regeneration will be lower.

The shaman's Fire Elemental and Spirit Wolves, mage's Water Elemental and Mirror Images, and druid's Treants have all gained avoidance from area-of-effect damage similar to what warlock and hunter pets already have.

Taunts: All player or pet-generated taunts now have a shared diminish category. In addition, Taunt-type effects from pets and from classes other than death knight, druid, paladin, and warrior have been set such that bosses can be made immune to them while still affected by death knight, druid, paladin, and warrior taunts.

Death Knight

Anti-magic Shell: The amount of damage this ability can absorb is now limited to 100% of the death knight's health.

Blood Boil's damage increased to make up for Pestilence no longer doing damage.

Blood Boil now does some damage to undiseased targets and extra damage to diseased targets. Its radius has been decreased.

Blood Plague: Now lasts 15 seconds untalented.

Blood Strike: Bonus damage for diseases is now a multiplier rather than a flat bonus.

Death Pact: This heal cannot be critical.

Death Strike: The amount of healing per damage done has been reduced by 20%.

Blood Aura: Replaced with Improved Blood Presence. This allows the death knight to keep the healing-from-damage-done bonus of Blood Presence in any presence, and increases healing received while in Blood Presence.

Blood-Gorged now grants armor penetration instead of expertise.

Bloody Strikes: The bonus damage this talent grants to Blood Boil has been reduced to 10/20/30%.

Bloodworms now heal more.

Dancing Rune Weapon: Damage done by, and duration of this pet is reduced by 50%, but the cooldown is reduced to 90 seconds. Attack speed of pet increased from 2.0 to 3.5.

New talent: Improved Death Strike: Increases Death Strike damage by 10/20%, and critical strike chance by 3/6%.

Heart Strike: Bonus damage for diseases is now a multiplier rather than a flat bonus. No longer affected by Glyph of Blood Strike.

Hysteria: This ability now causes the target to lose health rather than take damage.

Might of Mograine: No longer affects Obliterate.

Scent of Blood: Will now proc on a dodge, parry or when taking damage, and now grants 10 runic power per charge. Internal cooldown removed.

Spell Deflection: This talent has been increased to 15/30/45% damage reduction from a direct damage spell.

Sudden Doom now procs a free Death Coil instead of requiring you to push the button. Ranks reduced from 5 to 3.

Vampiric Blood: Cooldown increased to 2 minutes from 1 minute.

Will of the Necropolis: This ability now has a 15 second cooldown on how often it can occur.

Frost

The following talents have moved in the Frost tree: Runic Power Mastery, Glacier Rot, Killing Machine, Chilblains, and Endless Winter.

Black Ice: This talent now provides a 2/4/6/8/10% bonus to Frost and Shadow damage instead of 4/8/12/16/20% to Frost.

Blood of the North: Now also increases damage dealt by Frost Strike by 3/6/9/12/15%.

Chillblains: Now a 15/30/50% movement speed debuff up from 30%. Can no longer be dispelled.

Frost Aura: Replaced with Improved Frost Presence. Allows the deathknight to keep the health bonus of Frost Presence in any presence, and decreases magic damage taken while in Frost Presence.

Desecration: This talent now has a 100% chance to be triggered, works with Scourge Strike, and instantly snares targets within the Desecration area. Additional points in the talent increase the damage bonus and snare magnitude instead of increasing the chance it will be triggered.

New Talent: Ghoul Frenzy: Grants 25% melee haste to your pet and heals it for 30% of its maximum health. Costs 1 Unholy Rune. Requires at least 30 points in the Unholy tree.

Impurity: This talent is reduced to 4/8/12/16/20% bonus to attack power scaling.

Master of Ghouls: Now also reduces the cooldown on Raise Dead by 60 seconds. This talent now requires at least 25 points in the Unholy tree, and has Night of the Dead as a prerequisite.

Night of the Dead: Redesigned to grant a flat reduction on cooldown to Raise Dead and Army of the Dead instead of a reduction from using abilities. Requires at least 15 points in the Unholy tree; prerequisite for Master of Ghouls.

Reaping: Now procs on Blood Strike and Pestilence instead of Blood Strike and Blood Boil.

Scourge Strike: Damage increased. Bonus damage for diseases now increases damage done by a percentage rather than a flat amount.

Shadow of Death: This talent has been removed.

Unholy Aura: Replaced with Improved Unholy Presence. Allows the death knight to keep the movement speed bonus of Unholy Presence in any presence, and increases rune regeneration rate while in Unholy Presence.

Unholy Blight and Gargoyle have swapped places in the Unholy tree. Gargoyle is the new 51-point Unholy talent.

Vicious Strikes: This talent no longer affects Death Strike.

Druid

Abolish Poison: Now ticks every 3 seconds, up from every 2. Now lasts 12 seconds, up from 8.

Faerie Fire and Faerie Fire (Feral): Now decreases armor of your target by 5%. Has a 5-minute duration, and a 40-second PvP duration.

Feral Faerie Fire: The damage generated by this ability in Bear Form and Dire Bear Form has been increased substantially.

Innervate: This spell no longer costs mana.

Lifebloom: Mana cost of all ranks doubled. When Lifebloom blooms or is dispelled, it now refunds half the base mana cost of the spell per application of Lifebloom, and the heal effect is multiplied by the number of applications.

Maim: This ability is now considered a stun, and shares a diminish category with all other stuns. It no longer has a chance to break from the target taking damage. Duration lowered to 1 second per combo point.

Pounce: No longer affected by diminishing returns with other stuns, however, it now shares a diminishing return with Cheap Shot (Rogue).

Savage Defense: Trainable at level 40 with Dire Bear Form as a prerequisite. When the druid deals a melee critical strike, it gains a physical damage shield equal to 25% of its attack power. The next hit completely consumes the shield, regardless of how much damage was done. Only active in Bear Form.

Starfall: Cooldown reduced to 90 seconds.

Swipe: The Bear Form and Dire Bear Form version of this ability no longer has a targeting requirement and hits targets behind the druid and to the sides.

Balance

Celestial Focus redesigned: Reduces the pushback suffered from damaging attacks while casting Starfire, Hibernate and Hurricane by 23/46/70% and increases your total spell haste by 1/2/3%.

Eclipse: The benefit to Wrath triggered by casting Starfire has been increased to 30% bonus damage.

Insect Swarm: The bonus damage from spellpower on this damage-over-time ability has been increased significantly to match similar spells on other classes.

Mark of the Wild and Gift of the Wild can now be cast while in Moonkin form.

Moonkin Form: Mana cost reduced.

Nature's Grace redesigned: All spell critical strikes have a 33/66/100% chance to grace you with a Blessing of Nature, increasing your spell casting speed by 20% for 3 seconds.

Owlkin Frenzy is now properly considered an Enrage effect. Now also does not trigger from spell hits, only physical ranged and melee attacks.

Typhoon: Now causes a 3-second daze.

Feral

Heart of the Wild: Stamina bonus changed to 2/4/6/8/10%.

Predatory Strikes: This talent no longer works when in Moonkin form.

New Talent: Primal Gore: Grants the periodic damage from your Lacerate and Rip abilities the chance to critically hit.

Primal Tenacity: The damage reduction while stunned effect now only works in Cat Form.

Rend and Tear: The critical strike bonus for Ferocious Bite reduced to 5/10/15/20/25%, down from 10/20/30/40/50%.

Savage Roar is now considered an Enrage effect and now increases physical damage done by 30% instead of increasing attack power.

Survival of the Fittest: Bonus armor reduced to 11/22/33% instead of 22/44/66%.

Restoration

Living Seed: This talent now accounts for total healing including overhealing.

Improved Mark of the Wild: Now also increases all of your total attributes by 1/2%.

Intensity: Now grants 17/33/50% of mana regeneration while casting.

New Talent: Improved Barkskin: Increases the damage reduction granted by your Barkskin spell by 5/10%, and increases your resistance to Dispel mechanics by an additional 30/60% while under the effect of Barkskin.

Replenish: This talent is now re-named Revitalize and also works with Wild Growth.

Tree of Life: Now receives 240% increased armor. You can now use Nature's Grasp and Thorns while within this form. In addition, the discount on heal-over-time spells from this talent is now active at all times, whether or not the druid is in Tree of Life form. Mana cost reduced to match the cost of Travel Form.

Hunter

Ammunition: All types of gun and bow ammunition now stack to 1000. All quivers and ammo pouches no longer provide haste. 15% ranged haste is now built into the hunter's Auto Shot.

Aspect of the Pack is now raid wide, and radius increased from 30 yards to 40 yards.

Cunning, Ferocity and Tenacity pets now all have +5% damage, +5% armor and +5% health bonuses. This should make more pet families feel viable, while additional talents have been added to distinguish a pet's abilities based on its specializations.

Disengage: Cooldown increased by 5 seconds.

Frost Trap: If the target who triggers Frost Trap is immune to its effect, the Frost Trap area effect will no longer be triggered. Now reduces speed by 50% (previously 60%).

Pets now inherit more spell hit from the hunter. Pets with magic attacks should not require a player to stack additional hit compared to pets with physical attacks.

Viper Sting redesigned: Stings the target, draining 4% of mana over 8 seconds (up to a maximum of 8% of the caster's maximum mana), and energizing the hunter equal to 300% of the amount drained. Only one Sting per hunter can be active on any one target.

Beast Mastery

Animal Handler: No longer reduces the cooldown of Master's Call, but instead increases the duration of the Master's Call effect by 3/6 seconds.

Improved Aspect of the Hawk now has a new spell effect.

Marksmanship

Chimera Shot: Mana cost reduced from 16% to 12%.

Concussive Barrage redesigned: 2-point talent. Now causes your Multi-Shot and Chimera Shot to have a 50/100% chance to daze the target for 4 seconds.

Efficiency: Increased to 3/6/9/12/15% up from 2/4/6/8/10%.

Piercing Shots redesigned: Your critical Aimed, Steady and Chimera Shots cause the target to bleed for 10/20/30% of the damage dealt over 8 seconds. The damage done by this talent no longer receives modifications from effects that increase or decrease damage done by a percentage.

Ranged Weapon Specialization: Points reduced from 5 to 3, 1/3/5%.

Rapid Recuperation redesigned: You gain 2/4% of your mana every 3 seconds while under the effect of Rapid Fire, and you gain 1/2% of your mana every 2 seconds for 6 seconds when you gain Rapid Killing.

Silencing Shot: No longer on the global cooldown.

Wild Quiver: Chance increased to 4/8/12%, up from 4/7/10%. Damage increased from 50% of an Auto Shot to 80%.

Explosive Shot: Base damage lowered by 10%. Attack power scaling reduced by 12.5%. The periodic damage from this ability no longer triggers Judgement of Wisdom and Judgement of Light.

Hunting Party: This talent has been reduced to 3 points, and now increases your total agility by an additional 1/2/3%.

Lock and Load redesigned: You now have a 33/66/100% chance when you trap a target with Freezing Trap, Freezing Arrow or Frost Trap and a 2/4/6% chance when you deal periodic damage with your Immolation Trap or Black Arrow to cause your next 2 Arcane Shot or Explosive Shot spells to trigger no cooldown, cost no mana and consume no ammo. This now has a new spell effect and sound.

New Talent: Black Arrow: Fires a Black Arrow at the target, increasing all damage done by you to the target by 6% and doing periodic shadow damage for 15 seconds. 30-second cooldown. Shares a cooldown with all other traps.

Bullheaded now adds 20% damage reduction for 12 seconds along with its current CC-removal effect.

Cornered: The critical strike reduction when this ability is active has been increased.

Feeding Frenzy increased to 8/16% damage up from 6/12%.

Furious Howl (wolf special ability) now stacks with Battle Shout and Blessing of Might, however, it only affects the wolf and hunter. Its effect and cooldown have been doubled so that it provides the same benefit but isn't up 100% of the time.

Gorillas now have a new family ability, Pummel, which works like the warrior ability and has a single rank.

Grace of the Mantis and Roar of Sacrifice are now also available to Cunning pets.

Great Resistance increased to 5/10/15% magic damage reduction, up from 3/6/9%.

Roar of Recovery cooldown decreased to 3 minutes, down from 6 minutes.

New Talent: Shark Attack: This new 2-rank talent is available to Ferocity pets. It increases pet damage.

New Talent: Silverback: This new 2-rank talent is available to Tenacity pets. It heals the pet when Growl is used.

Roar of Sacrifice can be used on the hunter only.

Stampede (rhino) only affects 1 target, but adds a 25% bleed damage debuff (that does not stack with Mangle etc.) in addition to its knockback.

Thunderstomp is no longer a gorilla-specific family ability and is now available to all Tenacity pets. It has been reduced to one rank.

Turtles and Crabs now dwell in waters of and off Eversong and the Ghostlands, giving Blood Elf hunters access to local Tenacity pets.

New Talent: Wild Hunt: This new 2-rank talent is available to all 3 pet trees. Increases the contribution your pets get from your stamina by 20/40% and attack power by 10/20%.

Mage

Arcane Blast stacking effect is no longer considered a Magic effect and will not be dispelled.

Mage Armor: Now grants 50% of mana regeneration while casting.

Mirror Image: The images no longer cast Polymorph.

Molten Armor: Chance to critically strike is now increased by a percentage of the mage's total spirit.

Arcane

Arcane Meditation: Now grants 17/33/50% of mana regeneration while casting.

Fire

Ignite: The damage done by this talent no longer receives modifications from effects that increase or decrease damage done by a percentage.

Improved Scorch: Increased critical strike chance is now 1%, down from 2% per application of the Improved Scorch effect. In addition, the critical strike chance of Scorch, Fireball, and Frostfire Bolt is increased by 1/2/3%.

Pyromaniac: Now grants 17/33/50% of mana regeneration while casting.

Frost

Improved Water Elemental: Renamed Enduring Winter. Instead of the Water Elemental increasing mana regeneration for the mage's party, casting Frostbolt now has a 33/66/100% chance to provide the Replenishment buff to up to 10 people in the mage's party or raid.

Winter's Chill: Increased critical strike chance is now 1%, down from 2% per application of Winter's Chill. In addition, the critical strike chance of Frostbolt is increased by 1/2/3%.

Paladin

Auras will now persist through death and affect a 40 yard radius.

Blessing of Kings is now trainable at level 20. Removed from talent trees.

Divine Plea can once again be dispelled.

Exorcism: Now can be used on any target and has a 100% chance to be a critical strike when used on Undead and Demons.

Hand of Sacrifice: The damage transferred by this ability is now capped by the paladin's health.

Forbearance reduced to a 2-minute duration.

Sacred Shield: This effect cannot be cast on more than one friendly target at a time.

Seal of Blood/Seal of the Martyr: The damage done by these two seals has been increased but the damage done by their judgements decreased. The balance is now roughly 60% from either seal and 40% from a judgement on total damage done. The total damage done should be roughly the same. Please note that the 3.0.9 tooltips had incorrect values for the damage done, but the tooltips should be much more accurate in 3.1.0.

Spiritual Attunement: Removed from trainers. It is now available deep in the Protection tree for 2 ranks at 5/10%.

Holy

Aura Mastery: Now grants anyone affected by Concentration Aura immunity from Interrupt and Silence mechanics, and increases the effectiveness of all other auras by 100%. Lasts 10 seconds. 2-minute cooldown.

Blessed Hands: Now reduces mana cost of Hand of Freedom, Sacrifice and Salvation by 15/30%, and improves the effectiveness of Hand of Salvation by 50/100% and Hand of Sacrifice by an additional 5/10%. Moved to tier-4.

Enlightened Judgements: No longer increases the range of Judgement of Justice. Moved to tier-10.

Improved Concentration Aura: The resistance to Silence and Interrupt mechanics granted by this talent now becomes active when any Aura is used, not just Concentration Aura.

Infusion of Light: Now increases the critical chance of your next Holy Light by 10/20% instead of reducing cast time. Moved to tier-10.

Judgements of the Pure moved to tier-9.

Pure of Heart: Now reduces duration of all curse, disease, and poison effects by 15/30%.

Purifying Power: Now reduces the cooldowns of Exorcism and Holy Wrath by 17/33% instead of increasing critical strike chance.

Sacred Cleansing moved to tier-8.

Protection

Ardent Defender: Reduced to 3 ranks for 10/20/30%.

Avenger's Shield: Base damage and scaling factor increased by 30%.

Blessing of Sanctuary: Now only grants mana on dodge/parry/block. In addition, will only grant mana if that is the active power type of the friendly target (Bears and Cats won't gain mana).

Improved Devotion Aura: The additional healing granted by this talent now becomes active when any Aura is used, not just Devotion Aura.

Divine Guardian: Now increases the effectiveness of Divine Sacrifice by an additional 5/10%, and increases the duration of Sacred Shield by 50/100% and the amount absorbed by 10/20%.

Divine Protection: Cooldown reduced to 3 minutes.

New Talent: Divine Sacrifice: Causes all party/raid members affected by one of the paladin's auras to transfer 30% of all damage taken to the paladin (maximum of 150% of the paladin's max health). Lasts 10 seconds. 2-minute cooldown.

New Talent: Divinity: Increases healing done by and to you by 1/2/3/4/5% (tier-1).

Guarded by the Light: Now makes Divine Plea 50/100% less likely to be dispelled.

Judgement of the Wise: The immediate return of base mana from this spell has been increased to 25%, up from 15%.

Repentance no longer resets the paladin's melee swing timer.

Improved Retribution Aura: This talent has been removed.

Righteous Vengeance reduced to 3 ranks for 10/20/30%. The damage done by this talent no longer receives modifications from effects that increase or decrease damage done by a percentage. Now triggered by Crusader Strike as well.

Sanctified Retribution: The bonus to damage done granted by this talent now becomes active when any Aura is used, not just Retribution Aura.

Sanctified Seals: Renamed Sanctity of Battle. Now also increases damage done by Exorcism and Crusader Strike by 5/10/15%.

Swift Retribution: Now grants its haste bonus while any aura is active.

Priest

Abolish Disease: Now cleanses a disease every 3 seconds, down from 5. Duration reduced from 20 seconds down to 12 seconds.

Devouring Plague: This spell now has a new icon.

Divine Hymn redesigned: You recite a Holy hymn, summoning the power of the Divine to assist you in your time of need. Heals 3 nearby lowest-health friendly party or raid targets for 4960-5208 every 2 seconds for 8 seconds, and increases healing done to them by 15% for 8 seconds. Maximum of 12 heals. The Priest must channel to maintain the spell. Cooldown increased to 6 minutes, up from 5.

Divine Spirit is now trainable at level 31.

Holy Nova: Mana cost reduced approximately 20%.

Improved Holy Concentration removed.

Hymn of Hope redesigned: You recite a Holy hymn, restoring hope to those in despair. Restores 3% mana to 3 nearby low mana friendly party or raid targets every 2 seconds for 8 seconds, and temporarily increases their total maximum mana by 20% for 8 seconds. After the effect expires, the mana is lost. Maximum of 12 mana restorations. The Priest must channel to maintain the spell. Cooldown increased to 6 minutes, up from 5.

Prayer of Healing: This spell now heals the target's party, rather than being limited to just your direct party.

Shadowfiend: Health scaling increased. Now receives 30% of the master's spell power. Mana return increased to 5%, up from 4%. The Shadowfiend now returns mana when its melee attacks land, rather than when it deals damage. No longer has a 75% reduced chance to be hit by melee, ranged and spells. Movement speed normalized to player movement speed. Tooltip revised. New Shadowfiend ability, Shadowcrawl, teleports the Shadowfiend to an enemy target and increases its damage done by 15% for 5 seconds.

Discipline

Divine Aegis: Divine Aegis effects will now stack, however the amount absorbed cannot exceed 125level (of the target). It will also now take into account total healing including overhealing.

Improved Divine Spirit: This talent has been removed.

New Talent: Improved Flash Heal: Reduces the mana cost of your Flash Heal by 5/10/15%, and increases the critical effect chance of your Flash Heal by 4/7/10% on friendly targets at or below 50% health.

Grace: This talent no longer decreases damage done to the target, but the duration has increased to 15 seconds and the healing bonus has increased from 2% to 3%. This affect now cannot be applied to more than one target at a time.

Improved Power Word: Fortitude: Now also increases your total stamina by 2/4%.

Meditation and Improved Power: Word shield have changed locations with each other.

Meditation: Now grants 17/33/50% of mana regeneration while casting.

Mental Agility: Reduced to 3 points (4/7/10%), down from 5.

New Talent: Soul Warding: Reduces the cooldown of your Power Word: Shield ability by 4 seconds, and reduces the mana cost of your Power Word: Shield by 30%.

Penance: Damage increased approximately 30%.This spell can now be cast on yourself.

Power Infusion: This effect now has a new spell effect.

Renewed Hope: This talent also now allows you to proc the Renewed Hope buff on all party/raid members every time you cast Power Word: Shield, reducing damage taken by 3%. Lasts 20 seconds.

Unbreakable Will:Increased from 3/6/9/12/15% to 6/12/18/24/30%.

Holy

New Talent: Body and Soul: 2-point talent. When you cast Power Word: Shield, you increase the target's movement speed by 30/60% for 4 seconds, and you have a 50/100% chance when you cast Abolish Disease on yourself to also cleanse 1 poison effect in addition to diseases.

New Talent: Empowered Renew: Your Renew spell gains an additional 5/10/15% of your bonus healing effects, and your Renew will instantly heal the target for 5/10/15% of the total periodic effect.

Serendipity redesigned: When you heal with Binding Heal or Flash Heal, the cast time of your next Greater Heal or Prayer of Healing spell is reduced by 4/8/12%. Stacks up to 3 times. Lasts 20 seconds.

Test of Faith: No longer increases critical effect chance of your heals, but healing done on targets lower than 50% health is increased from 2/4/6% to 4/8/12%.

Shadow

Blackout: This talent has been removed.

Darkness: This talent is now in tier-1, moved up from tier-6.

Dispersion: Now clears all snare and movement-impairing effects and makes you immune to them while dispersed.

New Talent: Improved Devouring Plague: Increases the periodic damage done by your Devouring Plague by 5/10/15%, and when you cast Devouring Plague you instantly deal damage equal to 5/10/15% of its total periodic effect.

Psychic Horror: Has been redesigned and is now a 1-point talent. You terrify the target, causing them to tremble in horror for 3 seconds and drop all weapons (disarm effect: including bows) for 10 seconds. 2 minute cooldown. Instant cast. The horror effect can be dispelled, but the disarm cannot.

Shadow Affinity: Now also causes you to receive 5/10/15% of your base mana when your Shadow Word: Pain or Vampiric Touch spells are dispelled.

Shadowform: Now reduces all damage taken by 15%, not just physical damage. Bonus damage from critical strike chance removed and replaced by the ability of those periodic damage spells to generate critical strikes.

Vampiric Touch: When dispelled, Vampiric Touch will deal damage to the afflicted target.

Rogue

Deadly Poison: The amount of damage this poison generates from the rogue's attack power has been increased from 8% per application to 12%.

Deadly Throw: Missile speed increased.

Instant Poison: Redesigned to have its chance to be applied based on the speed of the weapon (frequency-based).

Shiv: This ability can no longer generate a critical strike, and the poisons it applies cannot be critical strikes either.

Tricks of the Trade: Will now begin following the first damaging attack.

Wound Poison: Redesigned to have its chance to be applied based on the speed of the weapon (frequency-based).

Assassination

Hunger For Blood: No longer stacks. Damage bonus changed to 15% for a single application. Requires a bleed effect active on the rogue's target. No longer removes bleeds from the rogue. Now costs 15 energy and lasts for 60 seconds.

Master Poisoner: Now also increases the bonus to apply Deadly Poison when Envenom is used by an additional 15/30/45%.

Combat

Adrenaline Rush cooldown reduced to 3 minutes.

Killing Spree: Now also increases all damage done by the rogue while active by 20%.

Bloodlust/Heroism: Cooldown reduced to 5 minutes, but Sated and Exhausted now last 10 minutes.

Earth Elemental Totem: The summoned Earth Elemental should now have significantly more health and slightly more armor.

Fire Elemental Totem: The summoned Fire Elemental should now have moderately more health and mana, and its damage scaling has been increased. In addition, the Fire Elemental's spells now cost less mana.

Flametongue Weapon: Bonus damage from spell power now based on weapon speed. Slower weapons will benefit more from spell power.

Frostbrand Weapon: Damage increased by approximately 20%.

Mana Spring Totem: This totem has been redesigned. It now provides the same mana benefit as Blessing of Wisdom to the entire party or raid, but is exclusive with that effect.

Poison Cleansing Totem and Disease Cleansing Totem have been merged into Cleansing Totem. Cleansing Totem pulses every 3 seconds, down from 5.

Enhancement

Earthen Power redesigned: Your Earthbind Totem has a 50/100% chance to also remove all snare effects and make you and nearby friendly targets immune to them for 5 seconds when it pulses.

Flurry: Now provides 5/10/15/20/25% haste instead of 10/15/20/25/30%.

New Talent: Frozen Power: Increases the damage done by your Lightning Bolt, Chain Lightning, Lava Lash and Shock spells by 5/10% on targets afflicted by your Frostbrand Attack effect, and your Frost Shock has a 50/100% chance to root the target in Ice for 5 seconds when used on targets at or further than 15 yards from you.

Lava Lash now has a new icon.

Spirit Weapons: Now reduces all threat generated by 30%, not just physical attacks.

Stormstrike charges have been increased by 2, and cooldown reduced by 2 seconds.

Improved Stormstrike redesigned: When you Stormstrike, you have a 50/100% chance to immediately grant you 20% of your base mana.

Toughness: No longer increases your armor. Instead, this talent now increases your total stamina by 2/4/6/8/10%.

Unleashed Rage: Reduced to 3 points, down from 5. No longer increases agility, but instead increases your total expertise by 3/6/9.

Elemental

New Talent: Booming Echoes: Reduces the cooldown of your Flame Shock and Frost Shock spells by an additional 1/2 seconds, and increases the direct damage done by your Flame Shock and Frost Shock spells by an additional 10/20%.

Elemental Reach: Now also increases the range of your Flame Shock spell by 5/10/15 yards.

Lava Flows: No longer increases the range of your Flame Shock spell, but now increases your casting speed by 10/20/30% when your Flame Shock spell is dispelled for 6 seconds.

Lightning Overload: Reduced to 3 points (7/14/20%), down from 5.

Storm, Earth and Fire: No longer increases the range of your Earth Shock or Wind Shock spells, but now also causes your Earthbind Totem to have a 33/66/100% chance to root all nearby enemies for 5 seconds when initially cast.

Thunderstorm can now be cast while stunned.

Restoration

Ancestral Awakening: This talent now accounts for your ineffective healing, rather than effective.

Ancestral Healing and Healing Grace have swapped places in the Restoration talent tree.

Cleanse Spirit now has a new icon.

Mana Tide Totem: This spell no longer costs mana.

Restorative Totems: Reduced to 3 points, down from 5. Increases the effect of your Mana Spring Totem by 7/12/20%, and increases the amount healed by your Healing Stream Totem by 15/30/45%.

Riptide: This spell has a new icon.

Tidal Force: Now has a new spell effect.

Warlock

Banish: Now has a 6-second PvP duration.

Curse of the Elements (Rank 5): Increased to 13% spell damage, up from 10%.

Curse of Recklessness has been removed.

Curse of Weakness: Now also reduces the armor of the target by 5%.

Drain Soul: Each time Drain Soul deals damage to a target which can grant experience, it now has a chance to generate a Soul Shard.

Siphon Life: The Siphon Life spell has been removed. Siphon Life now causes your Corruption spell to instantly heal you for 40% of the damage done. In addition, the damage done by your Corruption, Seed of Corruption and Unstable Affliction damage-over-time effects is increased by 5%.

Soul Siphon redesigned: Increases the amount drained by your Drain Life and Drain Soul spells by an additional 3/6% for each of your Affliction effects on the target, up to a maximum of 9/18% additional effect.

Suppression: Now increases spell hit for all of your spells.

Unstable Affliction and Immolation are now in the same exclusive category (both damage- over- time effects cannot be present at the same time by the same caster on a target).

Demonology

Demonic Empathy has been removed.

Demonic Empowerment: This talent now has a unique spell effect.

Demonic Sacrifice: This talent has been removed.

Fel Synergy has been moved to tier-1. No longer increases intellect, stamina and damage of your summoned demon.

Improved Enslave Demon talent removed.

Mana Feed: This talent is now a 1-point talent, down from 3 points. Now is the 21-point talent in Demonology, granting 100% mana return to your pet, up from 33/66/100%.

Master Conjuror: Increased from 15/30% up to 150/300%.

New Talent: Decimation: When you Shadowbolt or Incinerate a target that is at or below 35% health, your next Soulfire cast time is reduced by 30/60% and costs no shard. Lasts 10 seconds.

Pyroclasm redesigned: Now increases your Shadow and Fire spell power by 2/4/6% when you critically hit with Searing Pain or Conflagrate. Lasts 10 seconds. Also moved down to tier-7 from tier-5.

Warrior

Battle Stance: Now increases armor penetration by 10%.

Berserker Stance: Now increases damage taken by 5%.

Charge: Duration of stun effect now lasts 1.5 seconds. This effect no longer has diminishing returns.

Defensive Stance: Now reduces damage caused by the warrior by 5% (previously 10%).

Disarm: This ability now disarms ranged weapons as well.

Heroic Throw missile speed increased.

Intimidating Shout: Cooldown reduced to 2 minutes.

Shattering Throw: This new warrior ability, trainable at level 71, deals damage the same as Heroic Throw, but also causes the victim's armor to be reduced by 20% for 10 seconds (stacking with Sunder Armor). If the victim is immune, it will remove that immunity instead of dealing damage and reducing armor. Costs 25 rage. Only useable in Battle Stance. 5-minute cooldown.

Arms

Blood Frenzy improved to 2/4% increased damage.

Deep Wounds: The damage done by this talent no longer receives modifications from effects that increase or decrease damage done by a percentage. The base weapon damage used in the calculation will still be modified by those effects.

Improved Intercept and Weapon Mastery have once again swapped places in the talent tree.

New Talent: Juggernaut: Grants the warrior the ability to Charge while in combat. Critical strike chance of next Slam or Mortal Strike increased by 100% following Charge.

Taste for Blood: Will now proc 33/66/100% of the time with a 6-second cooldown.

Unrelenting Assault: Now also increases the damage of Overpower and Revenge by 10/20%, and causes Overpower (when used to attack a casting target) to decrease the effectiveness of all the target's non-physical damage and healing by 25/50% for 6 seconds. Tooltip and visual updated.

Fury

Improved Berserker Stance: Now increases strength by 4/8/12/16/20% while in Berserker Stance.

Titan's Grip: While you have a two-handed weapon equipped in one hand, your physical damage done is reduced by 10%.

Protection

Last Stand: Cooldown reduced to 3 minutes.

Warbringer: Now also allows Intervene and Intercept to be used in any stance.

Professions

Alchemy

All flasks now last 1 hour. To compensate, all flask recipes will provide 2 flasks for the same material cost.

Blackmouth Oil and Fire Oil no longer require a vial.

Elixir of Greater Firepower now grants spell power to all schools of magic.

Flasks now stack to 20, and their vendor sell prices have been reduced to lower the Auction House deposits.

Increased the health granted by the Flask of Stoneblood.

Northrend flasks will be converted to mixtures. This includes the Flask of Stoneblood, Flask of Pure Mojo, Flask of Endless Rage, and Flask of the Frost Wyrm. Mixtures can create 2 flasks of the corresponding type. This allows players who stockpiled Northrend flasks to convert them to the new system without any loss.

The Crazy Alchemist Potion is now correctly increased by Alchemist Stones.

The Mercurial Stone is no longer required as a tool for alchemists. It is instead an uncommon quality bind-on-equip trinket.

You can now sometimes find Alchemist's Caches from bosses in Ulduar. Only players with an Alchemy skill of 425 or higher can loot these secret caches.

Blacksmithing

Added a new recipe for the Titansteel Spellblade, an epic one-handed caster dagger, available from trainers.

Added new recipes for epic gear, found rarely on Ulduar bosses. These recipes are unbound and can be traded.

Most of the recipes in the 1-300 skill range of blacksmithing have received major stat updates to make them more useful.

Added a new recipe for the Titansteel Spellblade.

The Titanium Plating shield enchantment now reduces the duration of disarm effects by 50% as well as increasing your block value.

Cooking

A new recipe has been added to cooking trainers for making Black Jelly, using several Borean Man 'O War as ingredients. While it looks disgusting, it restores more health and mana than the highest level food.

Flint and Tinder is no longer necessary for creating a campfire. You're just that resourceful!

Grub now sells the Dig Rat Stew recipe to players who completed the quest.

Ingredients such as Spices, Apples, and the like have been removed from most cooking recipes.

Players no longer need to complete the Clamlette Surprise quest to gain Artisan cooking. The quest now offers the unique recipe, Clamlette Magnifique. If you already completed the quest, you can visit Dirge Quickcleave in Gadgetzan to learn this recipe (for free).

Prospector Khazgorm, found in Bael Modan in southern Barrens, now sells the recipe for Dig Rat Stew to the Alliance.

Several Northrend recipes were given greater skill up ranges to make it easier to reach 450 cooking skill.

You no longer need to learn cooking from books. The trainers have finally done their reading and are able to teach you the same thing.

Enchanting

Added two new recipes for enchanting staves with spell power, available from Vanessa Sellers in Dalaran City.

Greatly increased the drop rate of recipes found in pre-Lich King dungeons and raids.

Several recipes in the 250-300 skill range have been rebalanced, and the reagent requirements have been reduced.

Some enchants now have level restrictions. Note: the enchant is never removed from the item to which it's applied, however, players no longer receives its benefit until they reach the required level. Any enchants modified in this way have had their tooltips updated.

Added a new Reticulated Armor Webbing engineering enchant that increases the armor on plate gloves.

Added a new Springy Arachnoweave engineering enchant that grants passive spell power in addition to turning your cloak into a parachute.

Engineers can now obtain the schematics for Lil' Smoky and the Pet Bombling from certain creatures found in Gnomeregan. Specialized Gnomish or Goblin engineers can obtain both schematics equally. The repeatable quest that used to randomly grant these schematics has been disabled.

Flexweave Underlay now grants passive agility in addition to its normal effect.

Nitro Boosts now make you drop PVP flags when used, as well as preventing you from picking them up while the effect is active.

Fishing

A new (and very rare) special mount can now be caught from Northrend fishing pools.

New fishing dailies are now offered from Marcia Chase in Dalaran City!

Players are no longer required to do the Nat Pagle, Angler Extreme quest to gain Artisan fishing. The quest now offers a special superior-quality fishing pole instead. If you already completed the quest, you can visit Nat Pagle in Dustwallow Marsh to receive this new fishing pole.

The time needed to catch fish has been reduced.

You can now fish anywhere, regardless of skill. Every catch has the potential for fishing skill gains, but you are likely to catch worthless junk in areas that are too difficult for your skill.

You can now fish in Wintergrasp, and the fishin' is good!

You no longer need to learn fishing from books. The trainers have finally done their reading and are able to teach you the same thing.

The herbalism requirement for gathering Tiger Lily has been reduced to 375.

The time it takes to gather herbs has been reduced.

Inscription

Added a recipe to trainers for creating a level 70 superior-quality off-hand item.

Added a recipe for creating a different level 70 superior-quality off-hand item. Scribes will find the recipe is dropped from residents of Silverbrook.

Added around 50 new glyph recipes. These new recipes can be obtained from Books of Glyph Mastery found as world drops on Northrend monsters. Reading a Book of Glyph Mastery randomly discovers one of the newly-added recipes.

Glyph icons have been updated so it is easy to distinguish between classes.

Players will now learn 3 recipes the very first time they perform Northrend Inscription Research. This does not apply to players who have already discovered recipes from Northrend Inscription Research.

Jewelcrafting

Added a new recipe to cut black diamonds.

Added a recipe for Shifting Twilight Opal to the daily jewelcrafting vendor.

The Lightweave tailoring enchant now sometimes grants a temporary spell power bonus instead of dealing direct damage to your target.

Several lower-level items crafted by tailors have received major changes to make them more appealing.

Quests

The fight event for the "Grim(oire) Business" quest at Vim'gol's Circle in the Blade's Edge Mountains now only requires one character to stand within a fire circle in order to summon Vim'gol the Vile. However, it still takes five characters, one in each of the fire circles, in order to interrupt Vim'gol the Vile's Unholy Growth cast.

Horde characters may now obtain the quest "CLUCK!" from Chickens. While Farmer Saldean won't be selling Special Chicken Feed to the Horde, perhaps "Westfall" William Saldean in Brill might...